Releasing mechanism for use in paper carton vending apparatus



y 5, 1953 R WARNER ET AL 2,637,612

RELEASfNG MECHANISM FORUSE IN PAPER CARTON VENDING APPARATUS Filed June 3, 1949 5 Sheets-Sheet l May 5, 1953 R. WARNER ET AL 2,637,612

-RELEASING MECHANISM FOR USE IN PAPER CARTON VENDING APPARATUS Filed June 3, 1949 A 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 jaw War/var fi m/01 0153 diva/fey May 5, 1953 R. WARNER ET AL RELEASING MECHANISM FOR USE IN PAPER CARTON VENDING APPARATUS 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed June 3, 1949 Patented May 5, 1953 RELEASIN-G-LIECHANISM'FOR.USE IN PAPER CARTON VENDING. APPARATUS Ralph Warnerand Harold B. Smalley,

Bloomington l ll. 51.

A lication June. .3, 1949, serialNo...96,9. ;4 1

7 Claims; 1

This "invention relates 'toreleasing mechanism foNuse in paper car-ton vending apparatus.

Apparatus of this general character embodies a plurality of spaced parallel guidewaysin which paper cartons containing milk, beverage or the like are "slidablysupported; and these guide-ways communicate amt-corresponding ends thereof with a guideway transverse thereto. In such apparatus, the gu-ideways areso formed as to permit movement of the eartons therealong but not withdrawal therefrom, and a coin-controlled :releasing meehanism is provided -for release of successive cartonsafterhaving been mov-ed to a selected position accessible from s the transverse guideway 1 Various: forms. of such releasing :mechanism have; heretofore:beenzprovidedtor proposed, and which} while being efiective in the'releaseof cartonsrsubsequent to the deposit -o1?v coins. failed ito meetatheemaximum requirements; of devices 7 of this kind.

It israccordinglyn primary object -of thisinventicnq to provide releasing-.meohanism tor a papers eartomwrcndmgw apparatus. of: the above noted. characternwhich is simple :in structure; emeientz operation; and capable; of. construction and assembhizat relatirely'rloim roosmtherebysubstantiallysv fulfilling; the; maximum mreqnire- I mentsyoi structures; of. this kind-.2

A nirthereand.more-spec fic obie trci he invention is the provision? of paper l: carton; releasev mechanism. wherebyesuccessive cartons; aremamie. ally moved a-horizontal directionfrom a: point; oiiinitial :deposit thereof: to a position located beneath an opening in a housing foriilh meclhn anism qior withdrawal: oi the cartons a: thereth flus zr A still/further obicctqof. the.invention..-is to i tion will become apparent in thecourseof the.

followiimi detailedsdescriptionl taken in. connection with the accompanying drawings. wherein:

Figure 1 is atop perspeetiveview. of the releaseendrof. a papencartondispensingapparatus with theimproved release mechanism of the present invention embodied therein."

Fig: 2 "is a fragmental broken perspective view illustrating the carton-transfer means in its normal carton-receiving position.

Figr-B -is a fragmenta-l broken perspective view as observed from thelrear of the transfer means and disclosing inparticular the connection thereof with' 'the control shaft of a coin-controlled mechanism.

Fig. is a pei'spective view similar to: Fig. 3, but showing the transfer meansas havingbeen manually moved to a: position for the automatic discharge of a carton therefrom;

x Figs. 5 and 6 are views respectively corresponding'with :Figs; ii-and 5, andwherein a-modified embodiment of the -inventionis disclosed;

This applicationuis a continuatiomin-part 0t our application Serial No. 14,314, filed ;March. 11., 1946; now abandoned;

Referring: now detail: to thedrawings; C designates, the. casing of a: carton-vendingape paratus.v and: which. in general -.-embodies a plurality'iof parallelcarton;giiideways G definedby slats. s, and. the .guidewaysG comrmni a correspondinecndsr.thereon; with a transverse guideway T into which a-cartonlmaylbe movedfIDM'fiZWPpOHG Oi thelqguidewaysrfi and thence moved abngiathei guideway" E to h releas n mechanism.

The releasing. m chanism c mpr e u tab h isingyiflprovided. by atop wall .1 -.l a. rear wall I 2, a front wall;l3.end. a,bottom wal1 the-.formof attack: I A, tor jslidable-movement of: the cartons therealongl;

As thiscpoint itis; to; be noted that in Figs. 2., 3 and}; the. side .walls areqomittedfor greater clarity: of illustration.

The housing H1 provided with an Opening [5 in theirontwall l3 and. atransverse slot. It in the top wall-ll which opens. through theiront edgeiof the top wall above and centrally. of the. opening l5, the opening l5 being adaptedto receive.:.the .body' portion of a carton c and the-slot It adaptedto provide for finger engagementwith their-marrow top portiontthereofn provided with a relatively large rectangular opening 1.! disposed above a-well W in thehousing, t0 defined. by the. side walls thereof, together with-abase 18-, and. a chute 1,9 is disposed between the discharge-(indict track 1,4 and the wellbase 18;. for a'purpose whichwill be describedhereafter.

The releasing mechanism; vproper;comprises a box-like transfer memberwhiehincludes a top wall 20 having a slot 2| for alinement with slot I 6 in the normal position of the member, side walls 22 which are spaced apart equal to the width of opening I5 in the housing, a rear wall 23, and a vertical gate wall 24, the bottom of the member being open for direct seating of the cartons c on the track I4.

The transfer member is normally positioned as in Fig. 3 with the slots I6 and 2I alined as well as the walls 22 being positioned adjacent the opposite sides of housing opening I5, whereby a carton may be moved from the guideway T into the transfer member and in direct seating engagement with the track I4.

In this normal position of the transfer member, a wall 22 thereof is maintained against .an adjustable stop by means of a tension spring 25. The adjustable stop comprises a screw 26 threaded through a bracket 21 suitably secured to track I4, the screw having a wall-engaging free end 28 and being provided with a lock nut 29 for retaining the screw in any adjusted position.

The spring 25 is connected at one end to a bracket 30 suitably secured to said wall 22, and is connected at its opposite end to a bracket 3| suitably secured to housing wall II.

A handle member is provided for moving the transfer member from the normal carton-receiving position of Figs. 2 and 3 to the discharging position of Fig. 4, and such handle member preferably comprises an elongated bar 32 having one end thereof suitably secured to the lower face of the top wall 20 of the transfer member and the other end of the bar is formed to provide a finger grip 33, the bar being disposed beneath the housing Wall II and normally bending around one edge of the opening I! in the provision of the finger grip 33.

The transfer member is operatively connected to the control shaft 34 of a coin-controlled mechanism M for rotation of the shaft upon longitudinal sliding movement of the transfer member. Such operative connection comprises an angular lever 35 having one arm thereof rigidly connected to the shaft. The other arm of the lever is provided with an elongated slot 36 into which projects a pin 31 extending from a bar 38 suitably secured to the rear wall 23 of the transfer member.

Having described the release mechanism structure in accordance with a preferred embodiment thereof, the operation is as follows:

With the transfer member in the position of Figs. 2 and 3, a desired carton c is moved from a guideway G into guideway T and thence through opening I in the wall I3 of the housing ID with the carton resting on the track I4 and between the walls 22 of the transfer member. At this point, it is to be observed that the purpose of the normally alined slots I6 and 2| is to provide finger space when gripping the top of the carton and moving it into releasing position.

With the carton thus positioned, a coin is deposited in control mechanism M which effects, in the well known manner, release of shaft 34 for rotation. The purchaser then grasps the grip 33 and pulls the transfer member to the position of Fig. 4 in which the track no longer supports the carton, with the result that it drops onto chute I9 and into the well in the housing which is directly beneath the housing opening I'I In this position of the transfer member the gate wall 24 closes the carton-receiving opening I 5 to prevent admission of a carton therethrough during the releasing operation.

Upon release of grip 33, spring 25 will return the transfer member to normal position and the purchaser may then readily reach in and withdraw the carton through the opening I'I. When the transfer member returns to normal position, the shaft 34 will be automatically locked by the coin-controlled mechanism.

In Figs. 5 and 6 is illustrated a modified embodiment of the invention, wherein the well W is eliminated and the track I4 extends beneath and throughout the longitudinal extent of the carton-retrieving opening IT.

The modified structure of Figs. 5 and 6, for the most part, corresponds with Figs. 3 and 4, and the corresponding elements have been designated by the same reference characters and a description of such corresponding elements will not be repeated;

In this modified embodiment, the cartons c are manually transported along the horizontal track I4 by the transfer member from a position opposite the carton-admission opening I5 to a position directly beneath the retrieving opening I1. 1

It is to be noted that in the first and preferred embodiment of the invention, the side walls 22 of the transfer member are rigid with the top wall 20, since the cartons are discharged from the lower open end of the member. In the modified embodiment, however, the cartons are not discharged from the lower end of the transfer member, but are left on the track I4 directly beneath the retrieving opening I'I.

To provide for discharge of the carton from the transfer member upon return movement of the member to normal or carton-receiving position, one side wall 22' thereof is hinged to the top wall 20, as at 22, with such hinged wall preferably normally abutting the adjacent vertical edge of wall 23.

In operation of this modified embodiment, a substantially longer stroke of the transfer member is required in order that the hinged side wall 22 may move upwardly and clear the deposited carton prior to'the transfer member reaching its normal carton-receiving position.

Due to this required longer range of movement of the transfer member in transporting a carton from opening I5 to a position below the retrieving opening I'I, slots II are provided at opposite ends of the opening to provide for movement of the finger grip 33 and the gate wall 24' is substantially longer than in the first embodiment.

In Fig. 6, the transfer member is shown in its return movement with the hinged wall 22f riding over a carton c which has been deposited on the track I4 below'the retrieving opening I'I.

From the above, it will be seen the invention, in its generic form, embodies an elongated casing having a carton-admission opening in a side wall thereof, a top wall of the casing having a carton-retrieving opening at a position spaced from the admission opening, and a coin-controlled manually operable member for moving What we claim and desire to secure by U. 3.

Letters Patent is: g

1. A paper carton releasing means comprising an elongated housing including a rear wall, a

front wall and a top wall, a well in said housing adjacent one end thereof and including a base wall for receiving a released carton, a carton retrieving opening in said top wall above the well, a track in said housing having one end thereof terminating above said base wall, a carton-receiving opening in said front wall, a carton-transfer member supported on said track for longitudinal sliding movement thereon and having a carton-receiving chamber normally alined with said opening in the front wall, yieldable means retaining said member in normal position, and a handle on said member for manual sliding thereof along said track from its normal carton-receiving position to a point adjacent said end of the track for discharge of the carton into said well.

2. The structure according to claim 1, together with an adjustable stop on said track and engageable with said transfer member in opposition to said yieldable means.

3. The structure according to claim 1, wherein said transfer member comprises opposite side walls, a rear wall and a top wall defining said chamber, and a gate wall movable with the transfer member for closing said carton-receiving opening when the transfer member is moved to carton-discharging position.

4. In a paper carton vending apparatus, an elongated housing including front, rear and top walls, a carton-receiving opening in the front wall, a carton-transfer member longitudinally slidably supported in the housing, said member being of box-like form having an open front end normally alined with said receiving opening and having an open bottom, a carton receiving well in said housing adjacent one end thereof, a carton-retrieving opening in said top wall above said well, a track in said housing terminating short of said well and closing the bottom of said transfer member in its normal carton-receiving position, and a handle on said member for manual sliding thereof along said track from its normal carton-receiving position to a point in overhanging relation to the end of the track for discharge of the carton through its open bottom into said well.

5. The structure according to claim 4, wherein said transfer member includes a top wall, and there are cooperating slots in the housing top wall and member top wall which aline in normal position of the member for providing finger space in moving a carton into said member.

6. In a structure of the character described, a housing including side walls, a top wall and a bottom wall defining a rectilinear guideway rectangular in cross-section, an article receiving opening in one side wall, an article retrieving opening in the top wall in spaced relation to the receiving opening, a manually operable transfer member slidably supported on the bottom wall of the housing for transferring an article from the receiving opening to the retrieving opening, and a transfer member-operating finger-grip extending through said retrieving opening.

7. A releasing means for use in a carton-vending apparatus comprising an elongated housing having side walls, a top wall and a bottom wall providing a track, a carton-receiving opening in one side wall of the housing, a coin-controlled box-like transfer member slidably supported on said track in the housing and normally disposed opposite said receiving opening, a cartonretrieving opening in the top wall of said housing in spaced relation to said receiving opening, said transfer member being open at a side thereof opposite said receiving opening, and a finger grip supported by the transfer member and extending through said top wall normally adjacent an edge of said retrieving opening for manually moving same along the track from a position adjacent the receiving opening to a position beneath the retrieving opening, said transfer member including opposite side walls disposed transversely of said housing and a top wall, and one of said side walls being hingedly connected to said top wall and swingable away from the member for clearing a carton upon return movement of the member from its discharge position adjacent the retrieving opening.

RALPH WARNER. HAROLD B. SMALLEY.

References Cited in the file Of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,114,246 Baker et a1 Apr. 12, 1938 2,245,371 Van Tuyl June 10, 1941 2,284,931 Stewart June 2, 1942 2,514,681 Stewart July 11, 1950 

